Therapeutic aid



B. HILL THERAPEUTIC AID Aug. 26, 1952 Filed Marn 2, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l H T w m M B Aug. 26, 1952 B. HILL THERAPEUTIC AID 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 Filed March 2, 1950 4 INVENTOR. BANOROFT HILL Patented Aug 26, 1952 THERAPEUTIC AID Bancroft Hill, Baltimore, Md.

Application March 2', 1950,. Serial No, 147,319

h Pr s n vi e. r lates t n, app r tu for aiding certain handicapped persons who, by some impediment in the use of their body or limbs, are unable to feed themselves. This device is particularly adapted to transferring. food from a plate or shallow container to; the patients mouth by the use of the feet. This particular idea is a further development of thegeneral idea asdisclosed in my prior application of therapeutic aids.

This apparatus is'operable by a person having only one foot available, and the primary object of the invention is 'to provide a practical and efficient device of this nature by, which a person may feed himself from a plate Qr shallow platter.

Another object, is to provide a device which would be simple to operate and economical to m ke.- 1

With these and other objects in view,.'certain uses and advantages will become apparent as thev nature of the invention is more fully disclosed, and consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawings and described in thedee tailed description forming a part of the specifie atio s. inwh'ich:

1 is. a top. plan viewof the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a view in elevation of the same.

Figure .3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical view of one type of operating arm and means for ope a n he ame;

*F si te it. ew o mod s o '0 m. andarm control means'.

nemesis a top planviewof the same.

rights, is. a iragmentary VerticaI end view of the preferred form of foot operating mecha- JDiSm. a M

'Figure 'Tis a vertical sideview of a modified ate beneath the rack" I'2 asecond frame, or

rack, 20- wh'ich is guided a ongtne tabletop in the direction of the arrow-2e by 'the rnernbers 2'4 and. 26' which are attached tor the "rack- 20 and 2: Claims. (01. -15:)

here of these racks always provide arectang extend over the edge of the table top. The two frames are movable at right angles'to each other over the table top. The opening between the frames is always of the same size and is adapted to receive andaccommodate a tray, or shallow container, 28 Theobject of the'double 'slidable frame is to be able to move the tray-28 to any desired location over the table top. Secured to each side of the frame 20 are cords 30 and t2; The cord 32 has one end attached to the rack!!! by means'of an eye 34. The cord is carried ovei a pulley 35 and attached to a weight 36. The

cord 30 is attached to the opposite side of the rack 20 by means of the eye 38. The cord is thenpassed over the pulleys 40, 42 and 44 and downto the pedal 46. Pulleys 35 and are positioned di-,

ametrically opposite each other on opposite sides of the table.

The rack I2 is movedby cords 18 and 5.0. Q-n'e end of the cord 48 is fastened to the rackby the eye member 52 and extends over the. pulley 54 and has secured to its opposite end a weight 56. The cord 50 has one end. secured to the opposite side of the rack [2 by means of the eye member 58, the opposite end of the cord extending down-l wardly over the near edge. of the table and pulley 60 and pulley 6| to a pedal 62.

Associated with the pedal is a weight 64 which, with the weight of the pedal, is substan tially equal to the weight 36 attached t c'the cord- 32. The. pedals are of the heel and toe. operating type as shown best in Figure 6, in which the pedalis pivoted adjacent its center asshow'n at 6.8-.

The rack'ZO, to which the cords 30 and 32 are attached, is moved to the right by 'pressing on the. toe of the pedal 46 which will'overcome the force exerted by the Weight 36 and will move. the; weight 36 upwardly'as the rack is moved to the right; When it is desired to move the rack to the I left, the heel is pressed raisingthe toe end qr the pedal 46 and the weight 64, which relieves the tension on cord 30 sufiicie'ntly'to'allow the weight. 36 to move the rack to the left. i

A similar action moves the rack 12;, when the toe end-of the pedal 62 is moveddownwardlmthe rack is moved toward the operator, or in the'di rection of the pull by the cord 50. When the toe end of the pedal 62 and the weight 66 are raised by depressing the heel portion 62 of the pedal; the tension on cord is relieved sufiiciently to allow the weight 56 tomove the rack in the op posite direction, or away fromthe operator; i

By these two pedals the racks may be moved to any location over the'table top. Thegarm m support, or guiding means, for the tray or platter. While it is shown that the opening formed by the cross members of the frames is rectangular in form. it may be of any size or shape depending upon the shape and form of the racks, or the type or shape of the container to be handled.

To facilitate the movement of the frames and obtain greater movement of the frame as compared to the movement of the pedals, for example in Figure 6, the cord 50 may extend downrwardly and under a pulley 10 and up to a bracket 12 fastened to the back of the table. This type arrangement will cause the rack to move twice the distance of the pedal, and the bracket 12 will provide means for adjusting the position of the pedal by lengthening or shortening the cord.

In Figure 2, extending upwardly at one side of the horizontally movable racks l2 and 20 is a standard or shaft I fixedly secured to the table top. This standard is constructed preferably from a flat strip of metal having a twist, or spiral, preferably of'ninety degrees; however, the spiral may be of any predetermined amount to move thearm through any desired arc. Extending outwardly from the standard I0 is an arm 14.

The arm 14 is provided with a bearing 15 con taining' an opening which will slidably fit about the spiral standard which may be moved up the standard by a simple mechanical apparatus and is adapted to be moved downwardly by its own weight. The moving apparatus for the arm 14 consists of an elevating cord indicated by portions 16 and 16'. The elevating cord and the spiral standard are adapted to elevate and rotate the arm as the arm is moved upwardly. One end of the cord I6 extends from an eye member 11 carried by the arm 14, located adjacent the frame 15, upwardly and over a pulley 18 which is supported at the upper end of the standard I 0. The cord 16 continues downwardly from the pulley 18 through an aperture 9' in the table to a pulley 19, then horizontally to and over a pulley 53 and downwardly over the pulley 8| to the pedal 82. While the cord is shown to be directly connected to the pedal 82, the cord may be arranged as shown in Figure 6 which was illustrated anddescribed as the preferred form for operating the racks.

Attached to the outer end of the arm 14 is a spoon, fork, or other implement 80 upon which food or other materials may be handled or lifted.

pressing the toe of the pedal 82, the cord 16 will be drawn downwardly, the portion 15 draw the arm 14 up the standard I0. By the particular shape of the spiral the arm will first move vertically then be gradually turned outwardly toward the operator as it advances up the standard. The arm is returned by its own weight by .60 thepedal. The weight 51 may be used to help counteract the weight of the arm and materials gradually releasing the pressure on the toe of being carried by the arm.

In operation, the tray or platter 28 is first placed in the opening between the side members ofracks l2 and 20 with the desired kind and amount of food for the patient, the implement (or spoon as shown) 80 being positioned adjacent the right side 28' of the tray 28. The patient will sit at the near side of the table facing the pedals 45, 62 and 82 (Figure 2) in order to operate the pedals. By pressing the toe portion of the pedals 62, or the heel portion 62, the tray 28 is moved toward or away from the patient, or from front to rear of the table. By moving the toe of the pedal 46, the platter may be moved toward the right, and by depressing the heel portion 46 the platter may be moved toward the left by the weight 35. When the platter is moved toward the right and the spoon, or implement, is lowered into the tray, food will be picked up on the implement. When a sufilcient amount of food is on the implement, the patient removes his foot and transfers it to pedal 82 and by pressing on the toe portion of the pedal, the arm 14 and the spoon are moved upwardly, and by virtue of the spiral, the arm 14 is swung around to a position where the patient may take the food oil the implement, or spoon, by mouth after which the arm is lowered by releasing the pressure on the toe of pedal 82, or by pressing slightly on the heel portion 82 of the pedal. The operation may be repeated to the satisfaction or desire of the patient.

By this apparatus a patient who has had the misfortune of losing theguse of all limbs except a single leg and foot may have the satisfaction of feeding himself and'at the Sametime the device will serve as a therapeutic aid to the patient.

In Figure 4 there is shown a modified'form of arm andarm rotatin means. In this structure,

thearm 14' is carried'upon a vertical tubular shaft which is likewise fastened perpendicularly to" thetable top similar to the'member Ill. The cord 16 is'supported on a pulley 9| which is-supported on an' eccentric arm 90'. Slidably receivable over the tube 90 is a bearinglOG to which the arm 14 is fixedly secured. Extending outwardly and in opposite directions to'the arm 14 is a shorter arm 13. There is also a guide member 92 fixed to the table top adjac'ent the shaft 90. This guide r'n'em'-' guiding'edge 92' when thearms are'adja'cent the table. The pulley Si is eccentrically posi-" tioned on theside vof the standard 90. opposite.

the guide members 92. The'end of the cord 1,6

of-thecord Hi is fastened to the arm]! byjthe' eye member 94 and extends over the 'pulleyll ,1

through the aperture 9' of the table S'andaround -pulley'95- to the bracket 96 The pulley..95is attached to the peda1f82 and is adaptedfthroug'h the toe'of the pedal is depressed;

the" cord 16 to m'ove'i the arm '14 upwardlylwhen The operation of the arm H andfthe' spo on-l' ll 1n F1gure'4 is substantially the same as p'revibusly,

described. It will be noted that byfthe eesi't'ibii of the pulley M the "cord exerts a swingingactioh to the arm". Thi's'causes thearm l3, tobeheld in contact with the guide edgeSZ' as the arrnjll 15 being lifted upwardly by the cord. The action of the guiding edge 92' is to allow the arm: H to;

be lifted vernebuy ro short distance guides the arm continues to be moved upwardly, it will swing around to a point substantially at right angles to its original starting position inorder from the spoon.

that the patient may take-the food in'his mouth.

Figures '7 and 8 show a further modification o1 the arm. ,In this form v there is provided a stand.-.. ard 98 and a guiding means in the formoi'. an arm' 99 extending outwardly therefrom .To take :thej place of the arm vH is a pair of, arms I00 and IN and av pair of end members IOZ-and Ills-which. are hingedly secured to-the standardjilrat I! forming a pantograph. Oneend of the member I00 extends. beyond the member I03 as portion Hill,- and located; at. the outer end thereof is an 5 eye member I04 into which one end of the cord 16 is attached. Attached approximately centrally of the arm I! is a short cord I05 which has its opposite end attached to the outer end of the member 99. The cord 16 is guided through the table top by way of the aperture 9 which is at one side of the standard 98 as shown in Figure 8. When the cord 16 is pulled, there is a tendency to swing the pantograph about the pivot 91, its movement being restrained only by the cord I05. When the pantograph has reached the position shown in dotted lines in Figure 7, the cord I05 extends outwardly and substantially horizontally to its full length, which brings the implement, or spoon 80, to a position approximately ninety degrees from its starting position thereby raising and swinging the spoon to a point where the patient can take the food as described hereinbefore.

While several modifications of the invention have been shown and described in detail, other forms and variations are readily conceivable, and it is not intended that those forms shown should be a limitation of the general principles involved, and the invention is best defined in the appending claims.

I claim:

1. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a table, a pair of adjacent reciprocating racks movable over the top of the table and at right angles to each other, a removable container carried by the said reciprocating rack-s, each of the said racks having means for engaging the container for locating the same on the table top, an arm reciprocable perpendicular to the table top, having means at one end thereof for engaging a support and guide member for supporting and guiding said arm, said support and guide member adapted to support and automatically rotate the arm horizontally as the same is reciprocated along the support, an implement carried by the opposite end of the arm adapted to be raised and lowered in the said container, foot pedals located. beneath the table having means associated therewith for reciprocating the said racks and a separate foot pedal for reciprocating the said arm.

2. In an apparatus of the character described comprising a table, a movable container located upon the top of the table and means for locating the said container, an arm reciprocable perpendicular to the table top having means at one end thereof for engaging a support and guide member for guiding and swinging the arm horizontally as it is moved along the said support and guide member, said arm support and guide member comprising a vertical spiral shaft positioned above the plane of the table top, a bearing at one end of the arm for engaging the said spiral shaft, an implement carried on the opposite end of the arm adapted to be raised and lowered in the said container, a pair of foot treadles for locating the said container and a single foot treadle for reciprocating the said arm.

BAN CROF'I HILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 52,815 Bashford Feb. 27, 1866 819,391 Wattles May 1, 1906 1,215,822 Leu Feb. 13, 1917 1,333,208 Maguire Mar. 9, 1920 1,333,209 Maguire Mar. 9, 1920 1,440,510 Trueblood et al. Jan. 2, 1923 1,530,915 Semperger Mar. 24, 1925 1,928,015 Grow Sept. 26, 1933 2,082,615 Brown June. 1, 1937 2,424,619 Keepers July 29, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,720 Great Britain Nov. 26, 1915 312,451 Germany May 26, 1919 

